Latin for Beginners, Benjamin Leonard D'Ooge [easy novels to read .TXT] 📗

a place for a camp.

  2. «Hoc erat magnō impedīmentō Gallīs», this was (for) a great
  hindrance to the Gauls.

3. «Duās legiōnēs praesidiō castrīs relīquit», he left two legions as (lit. for) a guard to the camp.

In each of these sentences we find a dative expressing the purpose or end for which something is intended or for which it serves. These datives are «castrīs», «impedīmentō», and «praesidiō». In the second and third sentences we find a second dative expressing the person or thing affected («Gallīs» and «castrīs»). As you notice, these are true datives, covering the relations of for which and to which. (Cf. §43.)

«437.» RULE. «Dative of Purpose or End.» The dative is used to denote the «purpose or end for which», often with another dative denoting the «person or thing affected».

«438.» IDIOMS

  «cōnsilium omittere», to give up a plan
  «locum castrīs dēligere», to choose a place for a camp
  «alicui magnō ūsuī esse», to be of great advantage to some one
    (lit. for great advantage to some one)

«439.» EXERCISES

I. 1. Rogāvit cūr illae cōpiae relictae essent. Respondērunt illās cōpiās esse praesidiō castrīs. 2. Caesar mīsit explōrātōrēs ad locum dēligendum castrīs. 3. Quisque exīstimāvit ipsum nōmen Caesaris magnō terrōrī barbarīs futūrum esse. 4. Prīmā lūce īdem exercitus proelium ācre commīsit, sed gravia suōrum vulnera magnae cūrae imperātōrī erant. 5. Rēx respondit amīcitiam populī Rōmānī sibi ōrnāmentō et praesidiō dēbēre esse. 6. Quis praeerat equitātuī quem auxiliō Caesarī sociī mīserant? 7. Aliquibus rēs secundae sunt summae calamitātī et rēs adversae sunt mīrō ūsuī. 8. Gallīs magnō ad pugnam erat impedīmentō quod equitātus ā dextrō cornū premēbat. 9. Memoria prīstinae virtūtis nōn minus quam metus hostium erat nostrīs magnō ūsuī. 10. Tam dēnsa erat silva ut prōgredī nōn possent.

II. 1. I advise you [1]to give up the plan [2]of making war upon the brave Gauls. 2. Do you know [3]where the cavalry has chosen a place for a camp? 3. The fear of the enemy will be of great advantage to you. 4. Cæsar left three cohorts as (for) a guard to the baggage. 5. In winter the waves of the lake are so great [4]that they are (for) a great hindrance to ships. 6. Cæsar inflicted severe[5] punishment on those who burned the public buildings.

[Footnote 1: Subjunctive of purpose. (Cf. §366.)]

[Footnote 2: Express by the genitive of the gerundive.]

[Footnote 3: Indirect question.]

[Footnote 4: A clause of result.]

[Footnote 5: «gravis, -e.»]

LESSON LXXVI VOCABULARY REVIEW · THE GENITIVE AND ABLATIVE OF QUALITY OR DESCRIPTION

«440.» Review the word lists in §§524, 525.

«441.» Observe the English sentences

(1) A man «of» great courage, or (2) A man «with» great courage

(3) A forest «of» tall trees, or (4) A forest «with» tall trees

Each of these sentences contains a phrase of quality or description. In the first two a man is described; in the last two a forest. The descriptive phrases are introduced by the prepositions of and with.

In Latin the expression of quality or description is very similar.

The prepositions of and with suggest the genitive and the ablative respectively, and we translate the sentences above

(1) «Vir magnae virtūtis», or (2) «Vir magnā virtūte» (3) «Silva altārum arborum», or (4) «Silva altīs arboribus»

There is, however, one important difference between the Latin and the English. In English we may say, for example, a man of courage, using the descriptive phrase without an adjective modifier. In Latin, however, an adjective modifier must always be used, as above.

a. Latin makes a distinction between the use of the two cases in that numerical descriptions of measure are in the genitive and descriptions of physical characteristics are in the ablative. Other descriptive phrases may be in either case.

«442.» EXAMPLES

1. «Fossa duodecim pedum», a ditch of twelve feet.

2. «Homō magnīs pedibus et parvō capite», a man with big feet and a small head.

  3. «Rēx erat vir summā audāciā» or «rēx erat vir summae audāciae»,
    the king was a man of the greatest boldness.

«443.» RULE. «Genitive of Description.» Numerical descriptions of measure are expressed by the genitive with a modifying adjective.

«444.» RULE. «Ablative of Description.» Descriptions of physical characteristics are expressed by the ablative with a modifying adjective.

«445.» RULE. «Genitive or Ablative of Description.» Descriptions involving neither numerical statements nor physical characteristics may be expressed by either the genitive or the ablative with a modifying adjective.

«446.» IDIOMS

  «Helvētiīs in animō est», the Helvetii intend,
    (lit. it is in mind to the Helvetians)
  «in mātrimōnium dare», to give in marriage
  «nihil posse», to have no power
  «fossam perdūcere», to construct a ditch
    (lit. to lead a ditch through)

«447.» EXERCISES

I. 1. Mīlitēs fossam decem pedum per eōrum fīnīs perdūxērunt. 2. Prīnceps Helvētiōrum, vir summae audāciae, prīncipibus gentium fīnitimārum sorōrēs in mātrimōnium dedit. 3. Eōrum amīcitiam cōnfīrmāre voluit quō facilius Rōmānīs bellum īnferret. 4. Germanī et Gallī nōn erant eiusdem gentis. 5. Omnēs ferē Germānī erant magnīs corporum vīribus.[1] 6. Gallī qui oppidum fortiter dēfendēbant saxa ingentis magnitūdinis dē mūrō iaciēbant. 7. Cum Caesar ab explōrātōribus quaereret quī illud oppidum incolerent, explōrātōrēs respondērunt eōs esse homines summā virtūte et magnō cōnsiliō. 8. Moenia vīgintī pedum ā sinistrā parte, et ā dextrā parte flūmen magnae altitūdinis oppidum dēfendēbant. 9. Cum Caesar in Galliam pervēnisset, erat rūmor Helvētiīs in animō esse iter per prōvinciam Rōmānam facere. 10. Caesar, ut eōs ab fīnibus Rōmānis prohibēret, mūnītiōnem [2]multa mīlia passuum longam fēcit.

II. 1. Cæsar was a general of much wisdom and great boldness, and very skillful in the art of war. 2. The Germans were of great size, and thought that the Romans had no power. 3. Men of the highest courage were left in the camp as (for) a guard to the baggage. 4. The king’s daughter, who was given in marriage to the chief of a neighboring state, was a woman of very beautiful appearance. 5. The soldiers will construct a ditch of nine feet around the camp. 6. A river of great width was between us and the enemy.

[Footnote 1: From «vīs». (Cf. §468.)]

[Footnote 2: Genitives and ablatives of description are adjective phrases. When we use an adverbial phrase to tell how long or how high or how deep anything is, we must use the accusative of extent. (Cf. §336.) For example, in the sentence above «multa mīlia passuum» is an adverbial phrase (accusative of extent) modifying «longam». If we should omit «longam» and say a fortification of many miles, the genitive of description (an adjective phrase) modifying «mūnītiōnem» would be used, as «mūnītiōnem multōrum mīlium passuum».]

[Illustration: GLADII]

LESSON LXXVII REVIEW OF AGREEMENT, AND OF THE GENITIVE, DATIVE, AND ACCUSATIVE

«448.» There are four agreements:

1. That of the predicate noun or of the appositive with the noun to which it belongs (§§76, 81).

2. That of the adjective, adjective pronoun, or participle with its noun (§65).

3. That of a verb with its subject (§28).

4. That of a relative pronoun with its antecedent (§224).

«449.» The relation expressed by the «genitive» is, in general, denoted in English by the preposition of. It is used to express

                { a. As attributive (§38).
  1. Possession {
                { b. In the predicate (§409).

2. The whole of which a part is taken (partitive genitive) (§331).

3. Quality or description (§§443, 445).

«450.» The relation expressed by the «dative» is, in general, denoted in English by the prepositions to or for when they do not imply motion through space. It is used to express

                         { a. With intransitive verbs and with
                         { transitive verbs in connection with a
                         { direct object in the accusative (§45).
  1. The indirect object { b. With special intransitive verbs (§154).
                         { c. With verbs compounded with «ad», «ante»,
                         { «con», «dē», «in», «inter», «ob», «post»,
                         { «prae», «prō», «sub», «super» (§426).

2. The object to which the quality of an adjective is directed (§143).

3. The purpose, or end for which, often with a second dative denoting the person or thing affected (§437).

«451.» The «accusative» case corresponds, in general, to the English objective. It is used to express

1. The direct object of a transitive verb (§37).

2. The predicate accusative together with the direct object after verbs of making, choosing, falling, showing, and the like (§392).

3. The subject of the infinitive (§214).

4. The object of prepositions that do not govern the ablative (§340).

5. The duration of time and the extent of space (§336).

6. The place to which (§§263, 266).

«452.» EXERCISES

I. 1. Mīlitēs quōs vīdimus dīxērunt imperium bellī esse Caesaris imperātōris. 2. Helvētiī statuērunt quam[1] maximum numerum equōrum et carrōrum cōgere. 3. Tōtīus Galliae Helvētiī plūrimum valuērunt. 4. Multās hōrās ācriter pugnātum est neque quisquam poterat vidēre hostem fugientem. 5. Virī summae virtūtis hostīs decem mīlia passuum īnsecūtī sunt. 6. Caesar populō Rōmānō persuāsit ut sē cōnsulem creāret. 7. Victōria exercitūs erat semper imperātōrī grātissima. 8. Trīduum iter fēcērunt et Genāvam, in oppidum[2] hostium, pervēnērunt. 9. Caesar audīvit Germānōs bellum Gallīs intulisse. 10. Magnō ūsuī mīlitibus Caesaris erat quod priōribus proeliīs sēsē exercuerant.

II. 1. One[3] of the king’s sons and many of his men were captured. 2. There was no one who wished[4] to appoint her queen. 3. The grain supply was always a care (for a care) to Cæsar, the general. 4. I think that the camp is ten miles distant. 5. We marched for three hours through a very dense forest. 6. The plan [5]of making war upon the allies was not pleasing to the king. 7. When he came to the hill he fortified it [6]by a twelve-foot wall.

[Footnote 1: What is the force of «quam» with superlatives?]

    [Footnote 2: «urbs» or «oppidum», appositive to a name of a town,
    takes a preposition.]

    [Footnote 3: What construction is used with numerals in preference
    to the partitive genitive?]

[Footnote 4: What mood? (Cf. §390.)]

[Footnote 5: Use the gerund or gerundive.]

[Footnote 6: Latin, by a wall of twelve feet.]

LESSON LXXVIII REVIEW OF THE ABLATIVE

«453.» The relations of the ablative are, in general, expressed in English by the prepositions with (or by), from (or by), and in (or at). The constructions growing out of these meanings are

I. Ablative rendered with (or by): 1. Cause (§102) 2. Means (§103) 3. Accompaniment (§104) 4. Manner (§105) 5. Measure of difference (§317) 6. With a participle (ablative absolute) (§381) 7. Description or quality (§§444, 445) 8. Specification (§398)

II. Ablative rendered from (or by): 1. Place from which (§§179, 264) 2. Ablative of separation (§180) 3. Personal agent with a passive verb (§181) 4. Comparison without «quam» (§309)

III. Ablative rendered in (or at): 1. Place at or in which (§§265, 266) 2. Time when or within which (§275)

«454.» EXERCISES

I. 1. Gallī locīs superiōribus occupātīs itinere exercitum prohibēre cōnantur. 2. Omnēs oppidānī ex oppidō ēgressī salūtem fugā petere incēpērunt. 3. Caesar docet sē mīlitum vītam suā salūte habēre multō cāriōrem. 4. Cum celerius omnium opīniōne pervēnisset, hostēs ad eum obsidēs mīsērunt 5. Vīcus in valle positus montibus altissimīs undique continētur. 6. Plūrimum inter